John Lineker Details His Love For ‘The Walking Dead,’ Talks Zombie Apocalypse Survival Strategies

World-renowned knockout artist is best known for his show-stopping power inside the Circle and ring. But outside of it, the former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion has a passion that many fans don’t know about – his love for the hit television series “The Walking Dead.”

A dedicated fan of the beloved zombie apocalypse drama, Lineker has watched the entire series multiple times, including all the spin-offs, and is currently in the sixth season of his latest binge-watching marathon.

He recently spoke to about the show:

“I really like ‘The Walking Dead,’ first because I’m a fan of zombie movies. I wonder what the world would be like if there was a zombie apocalypse today. I really like this genre of movies and series. And because I also enjoy the stories that involve the characters.”

While it’s fun to think about a zombie apocalypse and how he’d survive the fall of civilization, Lineker said that he enjoys the show for its themes of friendship, loyalty, and camaraderie forged in dire circumstances.

Those values resonate with a fighter like “Hands of Stone,” who understands firsthand the importance of a strong team:

“They are different people who meet each other, but end up building a friendship and forming a group. And even though they are different people, they end up creating a strong friendship, a loyalty between them. So that really caught my attention.”

Indeed, “The Walking Dead’s” core cast of characters is a bit like an MMA team – a group of people from different walks of life who come together to fight off adversaries.

Lineker also appreciates that the characters aren’t only battling zombies but other survivors, as well. He loves how the show developed layers of different alliances:

“They are a small group of people, but a very strong group. And they didn’t just have to fight against the zombies, but also against the chaotic world, where people want to take advantage of the situation. It’s very interesting when you see different people who end up creating an alliance and a bond of loyalty. And ‘The Walking Dead’ is like that.”

Surviving The Zombie Invasion

The parallels between a fighter’s mindset and surviving a zombie apocalypse aren’t lost on John Lineker.

While he joked about how long he’d survive if the fictional scenario became reality, it’s true that he’s developed mental strategies for enduring a zombie apocalypse:

“If ‘The Walking Dead’ were a real series, I think I would survive for a long time (laughs) because I have already learned survival mode. I would definitely live for a long time.”

After watching “The Walking Dead” several times over, it’s no surprise that the ONE superstar has envisioned how he’d survive. The show, he said, has given him plenty of strategies to defeat zombies.

Lineker laid out his theoretical approach:

“If there was a zombie invasion today, I would already have a lot of plans to deal with the zombies. I would know how to deal with and how not to get killed by a zombie. There are many strategies in the series that I would use if there was a zombie invasion today.

“We already know how to kill a zombie, with a shot or a knife to the head. Whenever there’s a group of zombies, it’s better to run away than to fight them because when they’re in a group, it’s more dangerous. But when they’re in one or two, you can fight them (laughs).”